An experimental evaluation of Vishagna (Alstonia venenata R. Br.) a folk medicinal plant for anticonvulsant activity in Swiss Albino Mice

Back ground: Epilepsy describes a condition in which a person has recurrent seizures due to a chronic, underlying process. Globally, it is the third most common neurological disorder. There is still a need for an ideal anticonvulsant agent with broad spectrum activity, rapid onset of action, least side effects, good bio availability and low cost. Materials and Methods: Vishagna (Alstonia venenata R. Br.) belonging to Apocynaceae family is an ethno medicinal plant; the stem bark of the plant is used as antiepileptic drug among tribes. This study aims to experimentally evaluate anticonvulsant activity of the drug in PTZ induced generalized seizures and kindling on Swiss albino mice. The acute oral toxicological evaluation of the drug was conducted prior to the anticonvulsant study. Result and Conclusion: Result of the toxicological study reveals that the drug is relatively safe to be used as medicine. The data of the experimental study shows that the drug is moderate to highly effective anticonvulsant in PTZ induced generalized seizures and is mild-moderately helpful in controlling the development of kindled seizures in mice. It also shows that the drug imparts protective action against a sub convulsive dose of PTZ in kindling by inhibiting epileptogenesis and development of potential seizure threshold even when the disease was fully developed.